Family Counseling Archives | Carrollton Christian Counseling

Teen Issues: Coming Meaningfully Alongside Your Teenager

Teen Issues: Coming Meaningfully Alongside Your Teenager

Jennifer Kooshian2024-09-25T08:45:45+00:00February 29th, 2024|Christian Counseling For Teens, Family Counseling, Featured, Relationship Issues|

Being young is often associated with being carefree and happy. If you look at commercials, social media, and much of our art, it is a celebration of youth and the vitality associated with it. Young people are also valorized as harbingers of the future, and as the ones who hold their elders’ feet to the fire about pressing issues that will affect them in the future. All that may be true enough, but it doesn’t tell the whole story, at least as it relates to teens and teen issues. If you have a teen in your life, you’ve likely experienced the vitality and vibrancy of having a young adult living in your home. But you’ve probably also experienced a variety of other emotions too, as your teen comes to terms with getting older and making their way in the world. If you are a parent or a caregiver to a teen, it may be helpful to know how to meaningfully come alongside your teen in this season of their lives. The teen years are complicated by teen issues. Whatever else they may be, the teen years are complicated. For one thing, a teen is located somewhere between being a young child and an adult. They may not need the same level of guidance as when they were younger, but they can’t handle the responsibility of making adult decisions either. This can be a source of tension in the home as both the teen and their parent figure out the new rules of engagement. Teen issues come in many flavors, including some of the following: Changes in their body. As puberty hits, one’s body changes. It can be quite bewildering to know your own body as being one thing for a decade or more, and then for it to begin [...]

Comments Off

Understanding and Working On Emotional Distance in Families

Understanding and Working On Emotional Distance in Families

Jennifer Kooshian2024-09-25T08:45:37+00:00February 8th, 2024|Family Counseling, Featured, Relationship Issues|

A person’s family is foundational in shaping who they are. Sometimes that shaping is positive, but at other times it’s negative. Your family teaches you the importance of certain values, whether through example or omission. None of us chooses our family, but the people who comprise our family make a deep and lifelong impression on us. Emotional distance can negatively impact families. Each family has its own characteristics, its own intricate dynamic that flows from the combination of the lives of each member. It’s not unheard of for a new member of the family, whether through birth, marriage, or adoption, to shift the trajectory of that family and the way family members relate to one another. Some families are close, enjoying spending time together, while others are fragmented and want nothing to do with one another. Whatever situation you find yourself in, especially if it’s unhealthy, it’s good to know that the situation is not immutable. With work and intentionality, change can happen, and your family can become the sort of nurturing and welcoming community you would like it to be. Emotional distance in perspective. When you consider the human capacity for emotion, it’s enough to leave you speechless. We can be angry, sad, jubilant, curious, confused, disturbed, and many other shades of feeling in between. These feelings find expression in our words, our bodily movements, the tone of our voices, and our facial expressions. Depending on a person’s age and personality, what makes them experience these feelings and how they express these emotions will also differ. Given this broad range of emotions and understanding that individuals and families have their own personalities, how these emotions find expression, and what one feels comfortable with will vary widely. Some families are boisterous, show their emotions easily, and are emotionally transparent. [...]

Comments Off

Does My Child Need Counseling?

Does My Child Need Counseling?

Kate Motaung2024-10-29T14:49:19+00:00August 15th, 2023|Christian Counseling for Children, Christian Counseling For Teens, Family Counseling, Featured|

Many parents struggle with whether their child needs counseling. While they may be facing challenges at home, it can be difficult to recognize what is simply typical child behavior and what things are more than that. For example, if your child is struggling in school, does that mean he or she needs counseling or is it simply an issue regarding academics? Similarly, if your toddler is typically independent and now seems to demand all your attention, is it a phase or does it indicate a bigger issue? These questions can be hard to navigate. Add in the feelings that accompany seeking counseling, dealing with any silent stigma about counseling, and not wanting to think that your child could have something difficult going on, and the decision about counseling can feel paralyzing. The most important thing to know Counseling can help. Whether your child is simply in a phase, or he or she is dealing with something more complex, counseling can help. It isn’t a cure, but it can help you and your child navigate whatever they are going through. You can seek help from a counselor even if you don’t know exactly what the problem is or how serious it is. It is similar to how you would seek help from a doctor for your child’s sore ankle about which you’re unsure. The doctor can help you determine what your child needs just like a counselor can help do the same. Signs your child might need counseling While there are no specific things to indicate counseling is needed, there are things you can look for. Certain behaviors can indicate that your child may be struggling with something and they could benefit from counseling. Behaviors to look for are: No longer enjoying hobbies they once liked. Change in attitude that [...]

Comments Off

Family Counseling

CONTACT INFO

Carrollton Christian Counseling

ABOUT US